By Samuel Sukhnandan
President Donald Ramotar said that agriculture is finally getting the recognition it deserves in the Caribbean. The president made this remark while addressing the official opening of the 12th Caribbean Week of Agriculture (CWA) being hosted in Guyana after 10 years.
Ramotar said there are many challenges that confront the Caribbean and the world at large, but one of the most important challenges is the quest for food.
The Guyanese head of state told the international guests and delegates gathered for the week of activities that the quest for food could only be solved if governments start investing heavily in the agriculture sector.
He also lamented the current multibillion-dollar food importation bill of the region, which could be significantly lowered if a collective approach towards agriculture is taken by regional governments.
Ramotar said the funds that are being spent on the high food import bill could be otherwise utilised for many development projects.
While admitting that there are other challenges that the region faces, especially in attaining certain Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), he said improving agriculture could have a trickledown effect on how fast these goals are achieved.
Land issues
Special attention should, therefore, be placed on improving food and nutrition security, but this would mean special emphasis will have to be placed on improving agriculture.
The head of state highlighted that, indeed, there is high demand for land and great competition as this becomes limited within the region, especially for agriculture and energy purposes.
This situation is likely to persist especially with the high cost that is attached to oil and gas.
Ramotar stated that based on agriculture’s current trajectory, there will be a greater need for agriculturists and persons working in the sector to be more educated. This will help to improve agricultural practices and promote stronger and more viable business development strategies.
The president did not fail to mention the constraints affecting agriculture, including climate change, which has caused major disasters such as flooding.
He said the region is losing more land due to rising sea levels and there is a need to have more improved science and technology to help in this regard.
Ramotar pointed out that the world population is growing rapidly and there will be a greater demand for food in the future.
He advised that regional governments start thinking ahead and working towards developing strategies that will help them to feed their people.
Food insecurity
Food insecurity could create many other problems and affect social stability like it did in the Middle East. Such occurrences must never be allowed to happen in the Caribbean and so governments should start thinking critically of ways to make the region food secure, he said.
The CWA began on October 2, with 43 workshops planned for the week, much of them science and research related.
The aims of the workshops are to improve the agriculture industry and trade in the region.
The topics covered include sanitary and phytosanitary standards, the coconut industry, pest control in a changing environment and projects that are supported by Canada’s Agriculture Ministry.
The event is being observed under the theme: “Linking the Caribbean for Regional Food and Nutrition Security and Rural Development.”
